Overview of Balornock

Located south of Springburn Park, to the north of Glasgow city centre, Balornock developed in the 19th century in response to the housing needs of those working at the Springburn St. Rollox Railway Works. Like nearby Sighthill, Cowlairs and Colston, it predates the settlement of Springburn. Extended in the 1930s by Glasgow City Corporation, much of the earlier Victorian housing was replaced in the 1960s. The infamous Red Road Flats were constructed 1964-69 and comprise eight massive high-rise blocks, designed to house more than 4700 people. Opened by Secretary of State for Scotland Willie Ross in October 1966, six of these blocks reach 31 storeys and were said to be the tallest is Europe at the time of their construction. Subsequently the flats became known for their poor-quality of construction and for social problems. In the 2000s the flats were used to house asylum-seekers, with tragedy striking in 2010 when a family of disillusioned Russians jumped to their deaths. A programme to demolish the blocks began in 2012.